Alan Turing is famous for his contributions to computer science, and for code-breaking, but his contributions to chemistry are also helping to solve a health and well-being problem. Scientists at the Zhejiang University in Hangzhou are using Turing patterns to develop membranes to make salt water drinkable on a massive scale.

For thousands of years, Chinese governments controlled the sale and distribution of salt as it was a major source of state revenues. Historians, economists, and many others have deeply studied salt administration in China. This history came to an end a little over a year ago.